Starwood Hotels & Resorts has opened its 1000th property on the shores of China’s famed Qiandao Lake, which is aptly known as the Lake of Thousand Islands.

The 250-room Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort is located on the scenic lakeshore of Qiandao Lake, a popular tourist destination for mountain climbing, cycling and other outdoor activities.  The pure waters of the lake flow directly from the Yellow Mountain Range, and the region is China’s largest state forest park, spanning almost 1,000 square kilometers.

“Starwood plans to open 300 hotels in the next three to four years – and for the first time we have more hotels outside the US than inside. And there is no more fertile ground to grow than in China where we plan to double our footprint to 100 hotels by 2012,” said Frits van Paasschen, president and CEO of Starwood.

Beyond its 1,000th hotel, Starwood expects to open 80-100 additional hotels in 2010 – 70 per cent of which will be outside the United States, with the majority in Asia Pacific. In China, Starwood is slated to open more than 20 hotels this year.

Starwood has 26 hotels in India and plans to increase its portfolio by 60 per cent by the end of 2012.

The resort is also introducing a new health and fitness program, Sheraton Fitness, Programmed by Core Performance.

This offering features a state-of-the-art gym experience and healthy dining options. In addition, the first Shine Spa by Sheraton in Greater China will debut at Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort in August.

Additional elements of the property include:
• 23 well appointed suites including a 980 square metre Presidential Suite
• 5 lounges, bars and restaurants
• Sheraton’s signature, all-white Sweet Sleeper bed
• 1,694 sqm of meeting and convention space
• Club Lounge

Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort, like all hotels within Starwood’s portfolio, will offer the Starwood Preferred Guest program.-TradeArabia News Service